Arsenio Hall ready to chat his way back to top

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Arsenio Hall is eager to get back in the late-night talk show game, minus the big hair and shoulder pads that marked his initial foray nearly 20 years ago.

Arsenio Hall participates in "The Arsenio Hall Show" panel at the CBS Summer TCA on Monday, July 29, 2013, at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Joking to the Television Critics Association on Monday that he’s “been away making turkey bacon,” Hall says the challenges are much bigger now than when he was a pop-culture hit on his old show that ran from 1989-94.

He gave away few details on the format and style of the new “Arsenio Hall Show” other than the old theme song is coming back with a new bit of music that Hall wrote added to it.

Hall says no guests have yet been booked for the syndicated show debuting Sept. 9. More than 200 outlets have signed up to carry the show.